Good morning, Pensacola.

Escambia County spent over $800,000 to upgrade Perdido Kids Park with new playground equipment, ADA accessible amenities and a parking lot at Gulf Beach Highway.

The grand reopening with a ribbon cutting is today at 10 a.m. — families can enjoy original features like the handprint wall and climbing trees.

Pensacola Humane Society launched its new Spay it Forward program, letting pet owners in Escambia County enter a lottery for low-cost sterilization vouchers (15 available monthly) at Gull Point Animal Hospital to help reduce overpopulation.

Florida food banks received 5.67 million eggs from a federal price-fixing settlement delivered through Feeding Florida’s nine affiliates across all 67 counties by the end of Sept.

2 to help needy families secure breakfast staples.

On Sept. 1, a 40-year-old diver was attacked by a shark off Pensacola and rescued by the Coast Guard after a nearby vessel reported the incident — EMTs treated him before he was transported by a response boat to Naval Air Station Pensacola and then Sacred Heart Hospital.

The Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival expands to include events Oct.

1-4 in Historic Downtown, community programming Oct. 5-7 and beachside performances Oct. 8-11–featuring over 150 songwriters and a national contest with a $1,000 grand prize. Attendees should check details on venues and times as schedules evolve.

Governor DeSantis announced a $3 million grant that will create a maritime fabrication training center at Northwest Florida State College — designed to quickly prepare workers for careers in shipbuilding and related fields.

Groundbreaking starts Dec. 1 and the center will operate within a year.

Homeowners in Pensacola face challenges as most flood insurance policies require a 30-day waiting period and insurers often stop issuing new coverage when storms are expected.

Residents should review policy details and consider federal disaster loans if needed — a key step during hurricane season.

Florida Defense Support Commission awarded the Pensacola-Escambia Promotion & Development Commission $200K to plan a cyber warfare training hub rebuild at Corry Station; the grant funds stakeholder meetings and contractor searches for the $200M+ project that will finish planning by May, potentially boosting local jobs.

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is hosting Pilates with Dolphins sessions every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. from Sept.

5 to Sept. 26 in the Dolphin Oasis, where a certified instructor leads workouts (limited to 40 participants) for ages 12 and up who must bring a mat, water bottle, and arrive 15 minutes early.